Dark Advent
by JD Graham
Summary: Tauka nui is at peace. A tremendous battle has been won. A great evil has been vanquished. Now, its Toa are free to relax in the light of their recent victory, confident that the Matoran are safe…Or are they?


**Bionicle: Dark Advent**

Light shined painfully into Kumata's eyes; reflected by the glare from Dalara's auburn Kanohi. He rolled over, feeling the grass swaying gently against the back of his head, accompanied by a cooling breeze.

Silence rested upon the group of six Toa, as they basked peacefully in the warm afternoon sunlight. Only recently they had defeated a terrible threat to their island home, Tauka Nui, and were reveling in their remarkable victory.

"As much as I would love to laze around all day," spoke the white Toa, Hunhii, "we still have our villages to defend." Hunhii arose, lifting his Toa tool, a silvery-white mace known as an Ice-star. The red Toa, Bahkra, opened a slothful eye.

"Can't you forget your duty for one second?" Bahkra sighed. "Always playing the professional, Hunhii. Even heroes need a break now and then, and besides, the Brotherhood of Makuta have placed Tauka Nui under their protection."

"I hope you aren't suggesting that we shun our duty." Hunhii retorted, the eyebrows of his Kakama rising. "That would involve being disloyal to the three virtues."

"He's right." Khaza, the green Toa, added, standing up as well. "Even if the Brotherhood _are_ protecting the island, it's not their duty. We've rested long enough. Back to our villages, brothers."

"And sister." Toa Yina corrected him, straightening up. She brushed blades of grass from her bluish figure. "You're always forgetting to add 'and sister'."

"Does it make a difference?" Khaza buckled under Yina's fierce stare. "I'm sorry, sister."

"Come on. Let's go." Hunhii insisted. "If we were to lie here all day, who would be there to watch over the Matoran?" He vanished in a burst of speed before Bahkra could make another smart quip.

Khaza turned away and sprinted through the field in a leisurely manner. Bahkra stood up, grumbling, while Dalara and Yina made their way slowly down the grassy slope. Kumata stared after them absent-mindedly.

"Still smitten with her, huh?" Bahkra sighed, clapping a hand onto the black Toa's shoulder.

"Yeah." Kumata nodded longingly.

"Why can't you just tell her how you feel?"

"Because it's just… awkward." Kumata held a hand tightly to his chest. "Mata Nui knows how much I want to tell her. But… I… I want to wait for the right moment."

"You've been saying that ever since our first mission together as Toa." Bahkra reminded him. "I'm the only one who knows your secret, Kumata, so I'm obliged to advise you in this matter. And you know what? I say go for it."

Kumata turned to his fiery brother with a surprised expression. "You think so?"

"We've just defeated a great evil. Peace has returned to our land. There's never been a righter moment." Bahkra smiled.

"You're right. I will tell her!" Kumata grinned. "I shall tell her right away. Thanks, brother!"

And, with that, Kumata sped off, in the direction of the harbour city, Ga-Kaho.

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Khaza was the first to reach his village, Le-Kaho, situated just below the grassy hill upon which he had been relaxing. Green Matoran bustled about, either carrying cartfuls of strange, colourful vegetables or selling strange, colourful vegetables. They each met their Toa with kind words of greeting as he made his way through the peaceful town square.

Water trickled down the side of his verdant Matatu. Khaza glanced upwards at the wispy grey clouds that rolled across the sky, and smiled. He, unlike his fellow Toa, enjoyed the rain. Its cooling shower made him feel refreshed and often invigorated the plantlife of Le-Kaho, making it even more bright and beautiful than it usually was.

"Good afternoon, Toa Khaza! What a fine day it is today!" A Matoran chattered, bowing as he did so.

"Indeed." Khaza replied. "I have a feeling that this day will be remembered for generations to come. No day could be more greatly anticipated or enjoyed, my friend."

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Dalara observed the Matoran that bustled about the scaffolding, replacing stone slabs and re-carving the leftover rock. Po-Kaho had suffered the worst damage during the ordeal, but Dalara was glad to see that the resolve of his Matoran did not shatter as easily as stone.

"Let me help you with that." He hauled a large boulder into the air, much to the relief of three sweating Matoran at his feet. "Where do you want it?"

They indicated, and Dalara followed. It wasn't long before he had become as involved in the work as they had, and despite the drizzle that began to fall down upon them, sweatdrops started to form at the brow of his Kanohi Aki.

"Toa! Toa Dalara!" A Po-Matoran, sporting a tan Huna, ran up to Dalara franticly. He paused to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" Dalara hopped down from the raised platform. "What's wrong?"

"T-the tunnels!" The Matoran gasped. "S-s-spiders! I-inv-invasion!"

Dalara drew his Toa tool, the Granite edge sword, racing along the winding streets without another word, the intensifying shower lashing against him.

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"Yina! Wait!"

The cerulean Toa of sonics spun around to face Kumata, who was dodging between fishers and their cargo as he ran to catch up with her.

"Kumata?" What is it?" Yina asked, puzzled.

"I wanted to… talk to you, about something." Kumata stammered, panting slightly. "Can we go somewhere a little more… private?"

"Well, of course… but you sound kind of… odd. Is everything okay?" Yina checked.

"I think so. It will be. I mean, yes, it is." Kumata stuttered.

"Follow me, then." Yina strode away from the throng of Ga-Matoran, heading away from the main harbour. Kumata kept close behind, glancing upwards and noting the dark clouds that hung overhead.

"Sorry if you were in the middle of anything." Kumata apologised. "I just need to get something off my chest, that's all."

"Something off your chest?" Yina halted, turning to Kumata with a curious gleam in her eyes. "Are you saying…"

_**KRA-KOOM!**_

"Mata Nui!" Both Toa looked back at the harbour; panicky yells audible underneath the crunching of metal. An enormous ship had rammed purposefully into the quay, knocking a few Matoran unconscious and damaging a large portion of the dock.

But the real concern was the reddish, spider-like Rahi that were now pouring from within, snapping their pincers agressively and firing wheels of energy at the crowds of screaming Matoran.

"No!" Yina ran towards the boat, charging her Vibra-claws with sonic energy. Kumata joined her side, unsheathing his Crescent blade. A low rumble echoed from the skies, drops of water splashing against the concrete.

Five of the red spiders advanced towards the Toa. They began to charge their spinners, but Yina slammed her Vibra-claws into the ground, creating a sonic tremor that noisily exploded the pavement beneath them. Another scuttled angrily at her; Yina responded by rolling to the side, striking it with her weapons. Strangely, her attack appeared to have no effect.

"Help!"

Kumata slashed warningly at a spider that was about to take a bite from a maskless Matoran. The spider reciprocated by blasting Kumata with its spinner; instantly white-hot pain surged through him. He dropped to his knees, his Toa tool forgotten, unable to concentrate on anything but the terrible, blinding pain that now enveloped his body.

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Dalara struck the stone spire before him, shattering it into a million fragments. The shards struck numerous members of the horde of black spiders, as they marched from within the gloomy tunnel and into the rocky gorge. He dodged a few energy spinners that came his way and stabbed another spider fiercely. Some of them simply ignored him and carried on, while others stayed and fought.

"Dalara! Help me!"

The Toa of stone looked to the right. That voice was drowned out by the rain but he could still recognise it as… Khaza!

"Hold on, brother!" Dalara bellowed, activating his mask of Valor, courage expanding within him. He stared through the torrent, searching for any signs of green amongst the increasing numbers of black and yellow. Something verdant flared to his left, but it was just another energy spinner. He deflected it with his Toa tool and barged through the spiders - which seemed oddly uninterested in him - scanning for his fellow Toa.

"Over here!" Dalara looked behind, ducking to avoid another spinner. His vision was steadily declining due to the downpour. One of the spiders rammed into him, but he slashed outwards upon reflex. He jumped and kicked a nearby stone towards another spider.

"Khaza! Where are you?" Yelled Dalara, vaulting over several of the vicious Rahi, squinting madly through the deluge for any traces of Khaza.

"I'm right here…" Dalara spun around, facing another spider; one that bore a sinister look. "…you can stop searching now." It hissed.

Four numbing spinners burst against Dalara's armour, weakening his limbs too much for him to stand. Ideas and questions whirled in his mind as he crumpled. How had that thing tricked him? Why couldn't he move? And how was he going to get out of this one?

Shadows fell across the Toa of stone's eerily still body, only his eyes flickering to and fro desperately, their widened state portraying his realisation of the fact that from these creatures, there was no escape.

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Lightning flared from the heavens. Khaza urged the fleeing Matoran onwards as spinners of energy flew through the air, crashing into trees and huts, bursting with violent sparkles, melting the bark. Bahkra swung his Proto club, a wall of fire erupting from the dank soil to separate the evil green spiders from the village. They hissed against the fury of the storm.

"The Matoran are preparing to evacuate! We have to keep these creatures at bay while they do so!" Khaza ordered, commanding a surge of air to direct the flames. A spider pounced at him from a spiky bush, outstretching its razor-sharp legs and spinning like the wheels they fired. Khaza fell backwards, feeling it brush dangerously close to his Kanohi.

"Why in Mata-Nui's name are these things attacking us?" Bahkra cried, batting the Rahi away as they leapt at him. Activating his mask of freeze, Bahkra quickly immobilised four more spiders. "And where are they coming from?"

"Questions for another time! We have to keep fighting!" Replied Khaza, swinging his Dew staff to strike another spider. He sent balls of compressed air into Bahkra's wall of fire, causing minature explosions that forced the attackers back. Thunder roared, illuminating the trees in a most frightful way.

"But we're too weak! We haven't fully recovered yet!" Bahkra blasted some nearby spiders with a stream of flames. "Or… was our enemy counting on that?"

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"Kumata!" Using her Hau, Yina summoned a shield bubble to deflect the energy spinners. She clawed her way through a group of the red spiders, boldly attempting to reach the Toa of gravity.

Agony had spread itself to every inch of Kumata's body. The torture was unbearable. He wanted something to kill him, end it all, just to stop the pain –

- a cerulean hand grasped his shoulder, negating the spinner's awful power with its own elemental energy. An immense feeling of relief washed over Kumata, but his happiness was short-lived.

"Better?" Yina asked, crouching so that her Hau-field guarded him, too.

"Yes. Thankyou…" Kumata gasped, straightening up. Yina released a wave of sonic energy to keep the offending spiders at a distance, then handed Kumata his sword. They exchanged a brief smile, before turning to face the growing horde of spiders.

Rain and wind lashed at everything it could find, great waves crashing against the quayside. Spiders continued to crawl from within the mysterious vessel, pursuing any Matoran that had failed to escape the harbour. Blue spiders had begun to crawl from the sea, disintegrating vital structures using peculiar sonic hums.

"This is chaos. How can this be happening?" Yina muttered, kicking out at a red spider. "The Matoran are manging to evacuate in boats, by the way, but they shouldn't have to. We should be defending them!"

"Then let's get right on it!" Kumata roared, swinging his Crescent blade, cutting into several of the blue spiders. He unfurled a palm, spheres of gravitic power blasting into a group of red spiders. Aquatic fists hammered against his Kanohi, but he ignored it. All that mattered now was proving his worth as a Toa, to Yina, the Matoran and the Great Spirit.

Yina boxed away some of the nightmarish Rahi by charging her Vibra-claws with sonic energy; producing bursts of sound whenever she landed a blow. Kumata joined her, cutting through the ranks of creatures with his Toa tool. Both of them rolled and twisted to avoid the energy spinners that were almost as thick in the air as the rain itself. Thundering roared from above them, and determined screeches from around.

"These things came from the boat," Kumata grunted, in-between blows, "but where did the boat come from?"

"I'm not sure. We receive cargo from other islands monthly, however, I don't know if another shipment was due…" Yina replied, absorbing one of the spiders' sonic hums and sending it back.

"Tch. Some cargo." Snorted Kumata. The two of them battled on, regardless of the tempest that battered the harbour, nor the seemingly relentless hordes of red and blue spiders that were demolishing it.

"Onward, Vohtarak!" The order resonated throughout the dock. "Boggarak, move in formation!"

Yina and Kumata observed in shock as a tall, crimson-armoured warrior clambered from the cracked hull of the ship, signalling battle movements with his clawed hand and staring in a maniacal manner.

"Mata Nui." Kumata whispered, forgetting briefly about the combat at hand. "That's… that's… Sidorak."

"And he works for…" Yina added, turning to face him, "the Brotherhood of Makuta. Sworn protecters of Tauka Nui."

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Steam billowed from the Airship's roaring engines, melting the snow that had settled on the rocky ledge underneath it. Beside it, another Airship roared into life; huge, whirling metal propellors activating; moorings detatching as it started to take off.

"Quickly! Board the Airships! It's your only escape!" Hunhii called, beckoning for the screaming Matoran to follow a stone road towards the Airship docking bays. Another white spider leapt at him, jaws grinding, but he struck it with his Ice-star.

"Toa! You have to come with us!" A Matoran pleaded from a short distace away.

"It is my duty to defend the Matoran at all costs!" Hunhii answered, using his Kakama to reach another group of spiders. With several fast motions he trapped them in an encasement of ice. "And I will not shrink from that duty! Now go!"

The Matoran nodded solemnly, joining the others as they made their departure. Hunhii flipped over an energy spinner. He looked at the stormclouds that had encircled the mountain, the white spiders that were ravaging Ko-Kaho, the multicoloured Rahi that occupied the sky, watching forebodingly, and the Airships that were beginning to take off.

_How can this be happening?_ Hunhii wondered sadly, swinging his mace into another spider. _No. It isn't over yet. I will defeat these monsters, and hold the privilege of being a Toa with honour._

Fighting off more of the spiders, Hunhii kept a wary eye on the overhead Rahi, which were heading towards the rising Airships. He threw handfuls of icicles at his attackers, his Kanohi granting him the extra speed required to dodge all attacks that came his way.

With a delighted wail, one of the flying Rahi fired an energy spinner, much like the white spiders could, into the highest Airship. Moments later, the enormous craft crashed into the mountainside, crushing the outer rock ledge and sliding haphazardly down the cliff.

_Goodness!_ Hunhii blasted the creature with a concentrated stream of elemental energy, anger clouding his mind. _I won't let these creatures win. I won't!_

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Fire and wind, merged into one devastating wave, swept away the front line of green spiders. Bahkra slammed his Proto club onto the head of another, then another, then another. A tree tore itself from the earth and landed upon a group of the vile creatures, courtesy of Khaza's Matatu.

"The Airships are leaving." Khaza remarked, pointing at the turbulent skies, and a couple of transports being battered by the turmoil. "The storm could hinder their flight, but they should manage."

"It isn't right!" Bahkra growled, avoiding a spinner that struck the ground and started dissolving the soil. "There should be no uncertainty! We are Toa, and we should be able to defend our people no matter what!"

"Even heroes fail…" Khaza murmured, striking a spider with his Dew staff.

"Over my dead body." Bahkra retorted. He assaulted the oncoming hordes with a barrage of fireballs, freezing some more with the power of his Kanohi. Khaza battled from afar, using ranged attacks, unintentionally ravaging the remainder of the forest in the process.

Eventually, Bahkra backflipped over to Khaza. "You have to go." He had to shout over the noise of the deluge. "Board an Airship. Fly to a nearby island. And get help."

"You think I should?" Khaza checked, creating a minature tornado to buy them a moment. "Why?"

"We have to set aside our pride, brother. All that matters now is our duty." Bahkra sighed. "And survival. I'll stay here, with the other Toa, to keep the spiders from overtaking the entire island."

"How will you do that?" Khaza argued. "Alone, you can't defeat them. I should stay and-"

"NO! There is a way!" Bahkra interuppted. Khaza fell silent, wary of his brother's temper. "Look, just go. I promise you, I'll be fine."

Khaza wanted to suggest something better, but thoughts died in his mind. It was no use – Bahkra was right, the day could only be won if they sought out help.

"I'll go." Khaza agreed. "Look after the island until I get back."

"Goodbye, brother." Bahkra caught Khaza in a bear hug; much to his brother's surprise. After breaking apart, they clanked fists, then separated.

Bahkra began to swing his Toa tool wildly into the horde as Khaza found an empty Airship, activating the auto-pilot and preparing himself for a journey that he would never forget.

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Disregarding the spiders, Hunhii focused himself on disabling the flying Rahi, beams of ice filling the air, as electricity sparked from the stormclouds below.

"Leave this island, monsters!" He cried, much to their apparent amusement. Another Airship was struck, and Hunhii looked away angrily as it dropped through the mist, though could not stop the mighty impact that reverberated for Bios to come. His rage fueled, he started firing beams in a more rapid and irregular way.

One more Airship appeared from elsewhere; this one from Le-Kaho, as stated by the green patterns adorned upon its surface. Hunhii wondered what it was flying over the mountain for, but then noticed Khaza on the deck, attacking the flying Rahi.

An invisible force yanked at his body, dragging him against his will. After a few seconds Hunhii remembered Khaza's mask of telekinesis, and resumed his elemental attacks all the way to his landing on the wooden deck.

"Brother! You could use a hand!" Khaza smiled, assailing the creatures with gusts of frosty wind.

"Don't let their spinners hit the ship, at all costs!" Hunhii warned him. "Who's flying it, anyway?"

"Auto-pilot. Standard course is over the mountain, over the sea, then to the next island." Khaza explained. Hunhii nodded, and together they formed tiny blizzards to drive the Rahi back, lasting until they reached the opposite edge of the mountain.

However, they couldn't keep it up forever. One spinner, fired as a last attack before its weilder plunged downwards, unconscious, scraped the hull of the vessel. Instantaneously the entire structure lurched feebly, as the craft's ability to fly was negated.

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"No. The Brotherhood can't be behind this." Yina assured both Kumata and herself sternly. "Sidorak must have betrayed them."

"Yeah, that's right." Kumata concurred, sending a wave of antigravity towards the spiders. They floated helplessly upwards as he ran towards a group of Matoran, defending them as they boarded a boat.

"I think everyone has fled by now." Yina told him, signalling the multiple boats that were sailing away from the island, seemingly no larger than Madu fruit. She watched in distress as many of them were assaulted by the blue spiders. "This is terrible. We can't be here _and_ there! What do we do?"

"Let's go." Kumata suggested, pointing at an empty speedboat bobbing close by. "We were sworn to preserve the Matoran… not their homes. The island, though I hate to say it, is expendable."

"But what of the other Toa?"

"They've probably arrived at the same conclusion." Kumata affirmed, climbing onto the ship. "They'll be fine."

Yina leapt over a red spider and clambered into the driver's seat. "Okay. But let me handle this." With a flick of a switch and a frothy roar, the ship sped away from the harbour, kicking up waves, cold winds and icy raindrops pouring from the heavens as it went.

"Catch up with those Matoran boats." Kumata instructed his sister, aiming his Toa tool. "I can defend them against the blue spiders." He gripped the edge of the boat as it surged forwards, launching several arcs of elemental energy. One by one, the creatures dropped, dizzied, into the ruthless waves, as the Matoran gestured their thanks.

"Look, I think the others are leaving, too." Yina pointed at an Airship close behind. "I wonder if our brothers are-"

_**Ba-DOOM!**_

Both Toa's mouths hung open as a brilliant orange fireball erupted from near Le-Kaho. Noise buffeted their ears as swells of compact air slammed into them. The explosion lit up every niche upon the island, regardless of the rain that gushed across it fiercely.

Following the boisterous fury of the detonation and the mushroom of smoke, a dead silence emerged.

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"Topple that building. Topple all buildings. I have no use for them." Snorted the Visorak king. A Boggarak close by nodded, then clicked and hissed the message onto its comrades.

Sidorak stomped forward in long strides, rubble crunching beneath his feet. Around him, the shower washed away dust from the debris that littered the remains of Ga-Kaho, accompanied here and there by a random tool or a Matoran body. Vohtarak were scouring the village, searching for any survivors, and flattening buildings that still stood taller than their leader.

A Roporak shimmered into sight seemingly from nowhere; adjusting its chameleon powers so as to present itself. Sidorak halted, listening as it relayed a report.

"Hmm. Good. A Toa, you say?" More chattering from the Visorak's mandibles. "So that's what created the explosion… have his body, along with the other, brought back to me – as intact as you can manage. You never know when they might come in useful."

He resumed his pace, following a pathway as Boggarak cleared it, watching absent-mindedly as another Airship rocketed from the sky at a diagonal fall, meeting the sea. After a slight chuckle, he added to his orders.

"Oh, and send a squad of Boggarak with an escort of Venom flyers to finish off the Toa that escaped. We don't need the hassle of their return, nor the spreading of news that the Brotherhood of Makuta has turned yet. Besides, their masks will make fine gifts for Roodaka, my future queen."

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Hunhii found himself momentarily submerged, choking and flailing against the swirling chaos. Water was everywhere; flooding into the Airship, hauling its metallic body further into the depths of the sea. Khaza swam by, using his Toa tool to clamber into the next room. Hunhii followed, bursting through the liquid surface with a relieved gasp. He felt Khaza's Matatu levitate his dripping body onto the slanted floor.

"You okay?" Khaza checked. Hunhii nodded, coughing. "We'd better move. This thing's gonna sink very fast. I saw some Matoran leaving the island in boats; maybe we can hitch a ride on one of those."

"Good thinking." Hunhii flicked the handle of his Ice-star, the spiked ball and chain burying itself in the wall above them. He wrapped an arm around Khaza, managing to hoist them both upwards.

A violent shudder passed through the room. Instantly, the water at the base started to rise abruptly. Hunhii froze it over while Khaza tore a hole in the wall by creating a small vacuum. They scrambled outside, the sudden chill of the ocean air negated by Hunhii.

"There." Khaza pointed then waved at the nearest boat, watching as it swerved to meet him. Tauka Nui was a short distance from where the Airship floated, covered by an ominous cloud of smoke, as spiteful blue spiders lunged upon the Matoran boats, sinking them one by one.

"Brother, sister!" They were surprised to see Yina and Kumata piloting the speedboat. Khaza leapt onto the back seats while Hunhii stepped into them with more caution.

"Bahkra asked me to go for help." Khaza explained. "The Matoran can survive without one Toa, but four…"

"We've been shielding the departing Matoran from those spiders." Kumata contradicted. "I think they've all left the island."

"And what of Bahkra and Dalara?" Hunhii insisted. Yina paused sadly before answering.

"I know not what happened to Dalara, but Bahkra…" She indicated the giant cloud that hung over the island. "It was a Nova blast; I'm sure of it."

Khaza lowered his head. Hunhii stared at the smoke for a moment, then back to Yina.

"Tell me this isn't happening." He hissed dejectedly. "Tell me this is all a dream. Wake me up. I have no wish to remain in this nightmare!"

"How could we overlook this, brothers?" Yina sniffed. "The fall of Tauka Nui! Our homes destroyed, two of our number in mortal peril, and... we couldn't save all the boats." Tears slid down her Kanohi, indistinguishable among the raindrops. Kumata wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed softly.

"Who would be capable of doing this?" Khaza protested. "We were victorious, we defeated a great evil, one of the greatest any Toa has had to face. The Brotherhood of Makuta had this island placed under their protection. So who?"

Kumata looked at the Toa of air gravely, allowing the moist wind to smother them a little longer, the boat rocking gently upon the rough waves. Eventually, he answered:

"Khaza… I won't deny it… it _was_ the Brotherhood."

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Later… 

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Orange-purple claws of sunlight seeped through the fading mist, revealing a picturesque red sunset. Foamy seawater splashed lazily onto the shore, flowing across the overturned body of a speedboat, decorated with blue zigzags. Inscribed in Matoran letters, a message upon its hull read _Property of Ga-Kaho harbour, Tauka Nui_.

Stars emerged, one by one, as the sunlight withered like the spirits of the four Toa that recuperated on the beach, staring out to sea, and the island that was once their home. Five tools; a morning star, a staff, a pair of claws and a sword rested half-buried in the sand, each bearing scratches and marks from recent activity. A dusty rock ledge hung over the deposit, curving into a slab that continued beneath the ground.

Khaza lay upon the stone shelf, gazing at the sky, a defeated expression upon his Matatu. Hunhii rested upon the edge, dangling his legs, musing. Below them, Kumata and Yina sat on the beach, surrounded by a downhearted aura.

"It's gone… forever… isn't it?" Murmured Yina.

"It appears that we won't be going back." Hunhii sighed, his Kakama displaying how crestfallen he felt. "Where in the prophecies did it mention _this_…"

"And without Dalara and Bahkra, we do not have a complete unity." Khaza added. "Our virtues are shattered."

"We failed to protect the Matoran." Yina spoke in barely more than a whisper. "We don't deserve to be Toa."

"No. Don't say that." Kumata scolded her. "What matters is that we survived. Here we are now, depressed and battered, but still alive. That means there is still hope."

"You're… right." Khaza sat up. "The Great Spirit's wisdom is often unfathomable. We managed to help most of the Matoran sail to safety. We still _have_ people to protect and therefore, a destiny."

"May I just draw your attention to something?" Hunhii argued. "We allowed the Matoran a competent escape, yet they are not with us now. They have fled to the lands around Tauka Nui, most of which have Toa of their own. I hate to say it, however… I don't think they need us any more."

"Then what _is_ our destiny?" Yina wonderered aloud. "Which way now?"

"I'm not sure." Kumata admitted. "Although we have enjoyed a great victory, Mata Nui submits us to a great defeat. I believe it is a lesson, to prepare us as heroes."

Yina faced Kumata. "Prepare us for what?"

"As I said before, I don't know. But I'm positive that something _will_ happen, something to guide us, nudge us in the right direction again." Kumata assured her. "There is still light, as long as we have faith, and uphold the three virtues. Be strong, sister… for only strength will get us through this."

"Kumata…" Yina sobbed, pulling him closer. Hunhii started as the two Toa kissed passionately, their Kanohi wearing smiles of profuse rapture. He exchanged a mystified glance with Khaza as love began to blossom within the hearts of his comrades.

Inexplicably, they all knew that Kumata was right. Their path of life still stretched into the distance; their destiny was yet to be completed. Darkness had once shrouded their future. Now, there was a glimmer of light.

And somehow, some way… they would survive again.


End file.
